


all the world is waiting for the sun

by leashy_bebes



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-30
Updated: 2014-05-30
Packaged: 2018-01-27 15:53:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1716230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leashy_bebes/pseuds/leashy_bebes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So there's this tropical storm and everyone's on lockdown, except Steve who, in between interrogating suspects and driving like a maniac, finds time to pick up a milkshake for Grace. And that's basically Danny's last defence against this ridiculous man shot down, isn't it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	all the world is waiting for the sun

**Author's Note:**

> I posted this on LJ in 2011 (yikes!) which is why it bears no resemblance to current canon. Somebody requested I post it over here so ta-dah.

The rain is lashing against the windows of the apartment, like it's not just falling from the sky, because oh no, that's what rain does in _normal_ places. In Hawaii, the rain seems to make a concerted effort to actually get inside the buildings. _Just a little tropical storm_ , Danny thinks in Steve's voice. _No big deal. God you are a fucking dead man, McGarrett._

Outside, the wind howls, no _shrieks_ , and Grace flinches in his arms. "Daddy, are we gonna die?"

"What? Sweetie, no! Is this Tommy again?"

She nods against his shoulder.

"What's Tommy?"

"A path-o-logical liar," she says, sounding out the word carefully. She still looks anxious though, and Danny laments the fact that he can't really kick a tropical storm for upsetting his daughter. Can't kick Tommy and get away with it either.

"Tell you what," he says. "Let's call Steve. He grew up here, he knows what's what." And he certainly managed to make Danny feel like this crazy weather was nothing to bat an eyelash over.

Grace is nodding by the time Danny realizes just exactly what he's said, and he groans. "Do me a favor, monkey? Never, ever tell him I said that."

Grace laughs and leans into his side as he pulls out his phone. It goes straight to Steve's curt excuse for a voicemail message and really, honestly this guy has _got_ to work on his people skills.

"Sorry, babe, looks like he's busy. Why don't we try Kono instead?"

Grace's face lights up as quickly as it had fallen and she nods agreeably. "She's cooler than Steve anyway."

Danny laughs and squeezes Grace to him. "You warm your daddy's heart, do you know that, baby?"

Kono answers after a few rings. There's music playing in the background and she sounds like she's been laughing as she says, "Danny, hey! You all set to ride out the storm?"

"Yeah, I think so," Danny says, playing with a lock of Grace's hair. "How's it looking?"

"So-so. There shouldn't be any major damage."

"No major damage," Danny says, watching as Grace gives him a relieved smile. "So my apartment's not going to get blown all the way to Oz?"

Kono laughs. "Yours? Nah. Mine? Maybe."

"Serious?"

"Eh." Kono sounds supremely unbothered. "Probably not. I'm at Chin's place anyway."

"What about Steve, where's he?"

"At the lock-up. Still trying to get something out of that guy from the jewelry store last week."

"Man doesn't know when to quit," Danny observes.

"He's cutting it pretty close," Kono agrees. "If he stays much longer he'll wind up waiting it out there."

Danny laughs. "Ouch. I don't know if I feel sorrier for him, or for the cons."

"Right? Hey, don't you have Grace this weekend?"

"Yeah, that's why I'm calling actually. I've got a kinda nervous little girl here and seeing as you're one, local, and two, cooler than McGarrett, I wondered if you'd speak to her?"

"Of course! Cooler than McGarrett, huh?"

"So Grace tells me."

"Ha! I should have known."

"What?"

"Please, boss. We all know you think he's the coolest thing since you got your first G.I. Joe."

"No, see, what you've done there is confuse _my_ opinion of him with his own," Danny explains patiently.

"Whatever you say, man. Put your kid on, she talks more sense than you."

"Alright, I'll talk to you later."

He hands the phone to Grace who accepts it with a chirpy, "Hi, Kono!"

Danny leaves the room to fix them both a drink and he can hear Grace's tone lightening as she talks to Kono. Smiling down at the inside of his coffee cup Danny thinks, _yeah_. He never imagined his time in Hawaii would be more than a series of weeks to be endured in between visits with Grace. He wouldn't have dared to hope he'd find friends, _amazing_ friends, who love his kid almost as much as he does.

It's not long before Grace comes into the kitchen clutching the phone and says, "Kono wants to speak to you." She passes the phone over with a chirpy, "Bye, see you tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow, huh?" Danny watches as Grace, apparently perfectly happy now, heads back to the table and the art project she'd abandoned when the wind started getting up. "What's tomorrow? Is tomorrow when I take you out and buy you diamonds in return for you teaching me whatever trick you just pulled?"

"Could be," Kono says, wryly amused. "Me and Chin were just telling her about some of the fun times we've had waiting out stuff like this."

"Hi," Chin says, and Danny realizes he's on speakerphone.

"Hey, man. Alright?"

"We're good," he says. "Kono's drunk already."

"I am not!"

Danny looks at his coffee, suddenly feeling a bit cheated. "This, uh – this is how you wait out a natural disaster, huh? You hang out and get wasted?"

"Pretty much," Chin admits.

"I've gotta be honest, I feel like I'm missing out a little here."

"Next time, brah," Kono promises. "We're going down to the beach in the morning if you and Grace wanna come?"

"The beach," Danny says, all fake cheer. "Awesome! Nah, Grace would love that."

"We'll call you," Kono says.

"Danny, listen," Chin interrupts. "The power's probably going to go out soon, so just sit tight, okay?"

"Sure thing," Danny says, wandering over to Grace to look over her shoulder and touch her hair. "See you guys tomorrow."

Grace tips her head back to look at him and he smiles gently down at her. "Feel better, monkey?"

"Yeah, daddy." 

Danny scratches his stubble through the hair on the top of her head. She laughs and wriggles away, patting her hair flat again.

"Perfect," Danny tells her. He has a stack of expenses forms he could be working on, but there's really no contest. "You need any help, baby?"

She nods happily and shifts her chair along to make room for him, so Danny passes the next half hour handing Grace different pens as she requests them and listening to her chatter away about 'Kono says' and 'one time, Kono did this' and 'Kono thinks that'. Danny guesses that'll be the theme of the evening. There are worse things in the world. Last time it was Kamekona, and Danny supposes her choice in role models has at least swung to the right side of the law.

The power shuts off abruptly at around four thirty, and Grace flinches in spite of herself.

"Daddy – "

"Hey, it's okay. Chin said this would happen. You wanna light some candles?"

It's not even really dark but Grace nods so they light a bunch of candles through the apartment. They settle down to draw again, but Danny can tell her heart isn't really in it.

"You want to watch a movie instead?"

He'd made a point of charging everything earlier in the day – both their laptops, and the portable DVD player he'd borrowed from Steve when it became clear the storm would hit while Rachel and Stan were away on the mainland. He's just sent Grace into the bedroom to choose a film when there's a pounding on the door, loud even over the rain and wind. Danny goes for his gun without even thinking. This side of the island is basically on lock-down and the one door taking a hammering just happens to belong to a cop?

_Coincidence my ass_.

"Gracie, stay in there and shut the door a minute, okay?" Danny calls in a measured tone. He crosses the room as the door clicks shut behind him, keeping out of sight of the windows until he's in a position to crane his neck to see, and well. It should have been obvious. Danny's pretty sure he doesn't know anyone else crazy enough to be out in weather like this.

He holsters his gun and opens the door to see Steve, drenched through, an ice-box sitting at his feet.

"You need help," Danny tells him. "Proper, professional assessment, a clinical diagnosis, and an ass-load of heavy meds."

"Can you let me in, please?" Steve yells over the storm.

Danny considers saying no, just for a minute, just to see if it makes that vein pop on Steve's forehead. The rain's getting in already though, so he moves back to let Steve inside. When Steve tries to step around him, Danny prods two fingers into his chest and pushes him back to stand, dripping, on the doormat.

"Seriously, what? What is this? Did you swim here?"

Steve blinks rapidly. For god's sake, even his _eyelashes_ are wet, sticking together in clumps, and that is just – annoying for reasons Danny can't even begin to understand.

"Hi."

"Oh, _hi_. See, I was still stuck on _what the hell_ , I didn't realize we'd progressed to _hi_."

Steve rolls his eyes and opens his mouth but before he can get a word out the bedroom door opens a crack.

"Steve!"

Grace darts forward like she's going to hug him but Danny grabs her gently around the waist and hoists her into the air. 

"Whoa, whoa, hey, hang on. Rambo here's a bit wet for cuddles."

"You got clothes?" Steve asks.

Danny shifts Grace onto his hip and asks, "Do I – of course I have clothes. Because I _live_ here. You know where _you_ have clothes? Where _you_ live."

Grace looks scandalized and she says, "Danno, you're being _rude_."

No prizes for guessing which parent she learned that tone from, and Steve obviously finds it _hilarious_ , shit eating grin firmly in place as he says, "Yeah, Danno. You're being _rude_."

Danny points a finger at Steve and mouths _hate you_ over the top of Grace's head. _Don't fight in front of Gracie_ is apparently so deeply ingrained now that it doesn't matter that these days she's much more likely to gleefully side with Steve than she is to go off and hide secret tears. Those memories are still too raw though, so Danny just says,

"Towels are in the bathroom, help yourself to clothes." Because it's Steve, he can't help adding, "Don't drip on my stuff."

As Steve passes he manages to drag his upper arm across Danny's chest without getting Gracie wet at all.

"Thank you," Danny calls after him. "That's – that's really mature."

Steve just waves a hand dismissively and heads into the bathroom. Grace hops down and takes Danny's hand, dragging him over to the sofa.

"Is Steve staying til the storm's over?" Grace asks. 

"Uh..." Danny glances towards the bathroom door. "Looks that way."

"Awesome," Grace says contentedly.

"Yeah? Why is that?"

Grace is all seriousness as she explains, "Well, Kono said in storms you just get to hang out and have fun, so Steve should be here."

"What? Baby, you think I need that guy to have fun? Don't you know my company is the second best company in all the world? That's why I don't need anyone but you."

"Well, yeah," Grace says, like that's a given. "But I might fall asleep, so it's good Steve's here because you can still hang out."

"With Steve," Danny says, feeling like there's something he's not quite getting here.

"Yeah," Grace says. "He's your best friend, duh."

Danny blinks down at her and then lets his head fall back onto the sofa, groaning. "My god, you might be right, monkey. How did this become my life?"

"Huh?"

"Nothing, nothing, my life is awesome," he assures her.

As it happens, his life does get about three times more awesome when Steve emerges from the bedroom, dressed in one of Danny's t-shirts that sits so weirdly on his leaner frame, and a pair of sweatpants that just barely reach his ankles.

"Oh, _oh_. Where's the camera, Gracie? McGarrett, you look _ridiculous_."

"Only because you're so short," Steve says serenely.

"Look, Grace, it's zen master McGarrett today. Come, join us, grasshopper."

Grace laughs and tucks herself closer into Danny's side, patting the next couch cushion for Steve. When he sits down she wriggles away from Danny to give him a fierce hug and Danny thinks _whoa, wait, what_? When did she go from sweetly shy to openly adoring?

Steve looks comically surprised for a second before his face softens and he returns the hug gently, running a hand over her hair.

"Hey, Grace."

She lifts her head to smile up at him. "Hi, Steve."

"You okay?"

"Uh-huh," she says happily. "Kono says there's been storms way worse than this, and everything will be alright."

"Kono is a smart lady," Steve agrees solemnly.

"So do I get an answer?" Danny asks when Grace has let go of Steve.

"To what?" Steve asks, stretching.

"To what you're doing here?"

"You never _actually_ asked."

"It was implied. Steven."

Grace's eyes tick back and forth between them, and she's smiling and Danny thinks that really, whatever Steve's here for, this moment right here is pretty sweet.

Steve shrugs. "I was just checking in. Figured you wouldn't be used to this sort of weather."

"Well, no," Danny admits. "That is one of the many, _many_ ways in which Jersey is superior, I agree. Whatever, you're here now. You joined us just in time for Hannah Montana. You're a lucky guy, you know that?"

"I am," Steve agrees, looking bemused.

Danny surmises that he's never known the joys of Hannah Montana before and he settles in for a really delightful evening. As Grace leans forward to raise the volume on the laptop, Danny promises,

"This will break you in ways Seal training never could." 

When Grace announces way, _way_ too much later that she's hungry, Danny doesn't think he's imagining Steve's mutter of _oh, thank god_. He catches himself though, and agrees with Gracie when she asks that it's the _coolest show ever_.

"Did that hurt?" Danny murmurs. "Did a part of you die?"

As it turns out, Steve has chicken salads stashed in his ice-box, along with a milkshake for Grace and some beers that Danny mentally earmarks for later. The three of them eat on the floor, picnic-style, and Grace and Steve pick through Danny's salad, removing mango and nuts and all kinds of other crap that shouldn't be in a salad in the first place.

After they've eaten it's fully dark outside. Grace doesn't seem too fussed, though. Steve has his own stories about what he and Mary got up to when they were confined to the house by the weather, and Danny's edgy at first, expecting to have to censor Steve at every turn. It's good though, and from what Danny knows about Mary, Steve's probably censoring himself.

Danny can see Grace hanging on his every word. And he could watch her for hours anyway, of course he could, but there's something even more special about seeing her like this, seeing her out of her shell with someone other than him, Rachel and Stan. In a weird way, it makes Danny feel better about weekend visitation rights and all that bullshit. Danny's dreaded turning into one of those dads who hits extravagant tourist spots on the weekend and the bar every other night of the week. 

Taking Grace to hang out with Steve, Chin and Kono is a little more like weekends in Jersey when there was always a relative to visit and Danny didn't feel like the choice was between staring at the four walls and taking Grace on days out that always made him feel like he was overcompensating. And god, if Steve ever finds out just how grateful Danny is to him, _for_ him, Danny will probably never hear the end of it.

For once, the apartment actually feels comfortable, even cozy with the candles burning down. Steve's sitting cross-legged on the armchair and there's a smile in his eyes. For a little while Danny thinks Grace is falling asleep against his side, but then she stirs and asks,

"Danno, will you braid my hair?"

Danny thinks Steve's going to choke on that and he shoots him a look. "Question, McGarrett?"

"You braid hair?"

"Do I – please. Tell him, kid."

"Is that true?" Steve asks Grace. "Your dad has secret hairdressing skills?"

"Uh-huh. French braids, too. Better than mommy, even."

Danny touches a hand to his chest and smiles softly. "Thank you, monkey. Go get your hairbrush."

Grace skips off and Danny scoots to the edge of the couch and drops a cushion onto the floor between his feet. He can _feel_ Steve staring at him so he glances up and says,

"What? I have a kid daughter, okay? Obviously I know how to braid her hair."

" _Obviously_ ," Steve says archly, but Grace is back before he can pass further comment. She hands Danny a brush, settling on the cushion.

"Okay," Danny says. "Will madam be wanting one braid or two? Or seven?"

"Two please, Danno."

"Coming right up," Danny says.

He takes his time brushing out her hair. Like so many other things, he knows that every time he does this is one step closer to the day when she won't want him to anymore. As he's separating Grace's hair into sections, it occurs to him that Steve's unusually quiet. He glances up at Steve and oh god, okay, that was a mistake.

Because Steve is wearing this expression that...god it could _break_ Danny if he isn't careful. Mr Big Bad Navy Guy has this _look_ on his face, this soft, tender, almost confused look. And it's familiar too. When Danny looks that way at Steve it means _who are you and how did you get so deep into my life and why do I feel like the world would just kind of stop without you?_

He wonders if the look means something different on Steve. He hopes not.

When Grace's hair is finished and has been pronounced perfect, it's getting towards her bedtime. The storm is showing no signs of letting up and Danny figures there's no point sending her off to lie awake in bed.

"Hey, Monkey," he says, tugging on one of her braids only to have her bat his hand away, scandalized, and smooth her hair. "Wanna cut a deal?" he asks.

She grins. "Tell me more."

Steve laughs and that's a new feeling – being pleased and proud of Grace is nothing out of the ordinary but this... This sharp sting of pleasure that it's _Steve_ seeing this, seeing Gracie being awesome and funny and smart, that's _definitely_ new.

"Okay. You brush your teeth and get in your PJs, and we can watch a movie."

After a little negotiation about shave ices with lunch the next day, Grace takes the deal. She also insists that Steve joins them on the couch and Danny wishes there was a way to thank Steve for the bemused look of pleasure on his face without laying way too much of himself bare.

Halfway into _Wall-E_ (which is just _weird,_ not to mention oddly depressing for a kids' movie, although Grace doesn't seem fussed) she falls asleep on his shoulder. Danny doesn't even realize until Steve taps their feet together and casts his eyes towards Grace. Danny cranes his neck to see her fast asleep and he doesn't even bother to hide his smile. 

When she was a baby Danny had secretly relished the nights when Grace woke and he stumbled past Rachel whispering _shh, I got this one_. He'd rock Grace back to sleep against his heartbeat, and he could lie there on the couch for _hours_ with her sleeping on his chest, watching her rise and fall with his breath. The trust when such a tiny little person just sacked out in his arms was amazing, and it hasn't diminished any as Grace has got older.

After a moment he shifts carefully, lifting her into his arms. She cuddles into him as he carries her into the bedroom, and she doesn't so much as twitch when Danny settles her in bed. He kisses her forehead and switches on an outgrown battery powered nightlight in case she wakes up.

When he creeps out of the room, Steve is waiting on the couch with his bare feet on Danny's coffee table, a cold beer in each hand. He's even picked up a little around the place, Grace's art stuff stacked neatly on the table, the plates and forks from dinner gone. Steve McGarrett, domesticated. Danny thinks he kind of likes it.

He joins Steve on the couch and he has _hey, hey, bare feet on my fucking furniture, are you serious_ all lined up but his eyes catch on the curve of Steve's ankles and then he's got nothing.

"You think Grace will sleep through the rest of it?" Steve asks.

Danny shrugs and takes a drink. "Could be."

"She's a great kid, Danny," Steve says, his voice warm.

"Yeah," Danny agrees quietly.

It's not that the silence which follows is awkward, far from it. It's just – shit, Danny has to _know_ , because this, this whatever between them isn't going anywhere and lately it feels more and more like something waiting to start. But it's been a long time since Danny felt like that, and there's also that other thing. That thing where Steve's an integral part of the best set of working relationships Danny's ever had, and who knows what screwing – ha, pun completely intended – with that might do. So it's a little messy, and while Danny's mostly sure, he's not _totally_ sure. He needs...something.

"So," he says. "What _are_ you doing here?"

Steve shrugs. "Like I said, just checking in."

"Right," Danny says, using his thumbnail to pick at the damp label on his beer. "Only I spoke to Kono not long before the power went out and she said you were still in the lock-up hassling some dirtbag."

"So?"

God forbid Steve ever make it easy.

"Say that once more and I will hit you, I swear. _So_ even with your frankly _brutal_ driving, you didn't go home first. You came straight here."

Steve shrugs again. "Your point?"

"You came here. With food. And beer. And my daughter's favorite flavor milkshake."

"So?" Steve asks again, a teasing smile on his face.

"So...thanks. That's all."

Steve presses his lips together and glances down for a second before he says, "Nowhere I'd rather be." His voice is quiet but the words ring loud with honesty. Danny feels like he should give something back, but for once in his life he can't find a single word to say. He just taps his beer bottle against Steve's and hopes it's obvious.

After a couple more beers the storm is still full-on raging, and Danny's wondering whether he should have busted into Stan and Rachel's place with Grace, waited it out there. He does sometimes feel like this apartment will collapse when he slams the door too hard (at least once a day, because working with Steve is stressful, right up there with divorce and moving house and all that other stuff that brings people out in aneurysms, and Danny is working on releasing that stress in small, measured doses. Usually at the expense of inanimate objects). 

"Nervous, Danny?"

Danny looks over at where Steve is perched cross-legged on the couch, beer bottle dangling from his fingertips. He looks annoyingly unbothered, and Danny can't help taking it as a personal insult.

"Shut up, _nervous_."

Steve does that stupid thing with his mouth, lifting his chin and doing something with his lips that on anyone else would be called pouting. It drives Danny crazy.

"This is normal though, right?" He waves a hand towards the bedroom door. "I don't need to, uh, put her in the closet or the tub or something?"

"I don't know. Is that standard parenting procedure?"

"Shut up, man, you know what I mean."

"Only a _little_ ," Steve frowns. "Nah, this is small fry. Hang on til there's some serious weather that isn't being faked by hackers and we'll talk."

Danny groans. "Great. Wonderful. I love this island, I really do. I love it more every day."

"You do," Steve says. "I can see it."

Danny makes a dismissive noise and Steve leans forward, suddenly intent.

"You think you'll ever leave?"

Danny shrugs, his eyes drawn like a magnet to the bedroom door. "I go where she goes, you know that."

"Yeah," Steve says. "Yeah." And then, "Forever?"

Wondering when everything got so serious, Danny scratches the back of his neck and shrugs. "I like to pretend the day will never come, but until she doesn't need me, then – yeah, forever."

The silence stretches for a long moment until Steve says, "You're a good dad."

And that's...really, that's what Danny wants to be more than he wants anything else in the fucking _world_. Coming from Steve, it could easily make him blush like a schoolkid, so he just waves a hand dismissively.

"You are," Steve persists. "It's – I like it."

Danny's all ready with a crack about sensitivity, but he makes the mistake of looking at Steve first. He's all earnest and open, soft in the candlelight and all that comes out of Danny's mouth is, "Yeah?"

Steve shifts just a little and says, "Danny – "

Before he can finish his sentence, the bedroom door opens and Grace peers out. Steve sits back on the couch and Danny thinks that given a minute, thirty seconds more, they'd have crossed that line they've been toeing for ages. He's never quite sure whether that would be a good thing or not. Danny's heart is pounding as he crosses the room and goes to one knee in front of Grace, determinedly pushing the thoughts aside.

"Hey, monkey. Did the storm wake you up?"

"Uh-huh," Grace says, coming into his arms and resting her sleepy head on his shoulder.

"It'll stop soon," Steve promises.

"You wanna sleep out here for a bit?" Danny asks, and Grace nods against his shoulder. "Okay. Let's go get your pillow and your blanket. Steve, would you – "

But Steve is already on his feet unfolding the couch.

Danny tucks Grace back into the foldout bed and blows out all the candles apart from a few on the table. Steve's hovering almost anxiously, and when Danny steps back from the bed he asks in a hushed whisper, "Okay?"

"Fine," Danny says in a more normal tone. "She's out again. Come on," he says, nodding towards the table. "How about I kick your ass at poker before we call it a night?"

"Please," Steve says. "How dumb do you think I am? I presume Grace didn't learn to hustle from her mother."

"Aw, are you scared?" Danny asks. "That's cool, I mean, it's understandable. We can play for...uh...I don't know, _matchsticks_ or something if you're feeling inadequate."

Steve smiles and shakes his head in that affectionate _Danny, you're such an ass_ kind of way. 

"Screw that," he says. "Let's make it interesting. How about we play for paperwork?"

"Oh, it is _on_ ," Danny says, pleased.

Steve's not a bad poker player by any stretch of the imagination, but Danny's been counting cards since he was old enough to remember the order of the winning hands. Before long Steve owes Danny around two years' worth of paperwork. When Danny stifles his third yawn a while later, he realizes he's doing that teenage thing where he just doesn't want to go to bed because he's kind of having an awesome time. 

Eventually though, he throws down his cards and says, "Enough, Jesus, I feel like I'm kicking a puppy you're so out of your depth."

Steve just laughs it off and waves a hand dismissively.

"Beer?"

Danny nods but adds, "Better make it a nightcap. I told Grace we'd go to the beach with Kono and Chin in the morning."

"The _beach_?" Steve asks, feigning deep shock as he leans over and pulls a last couple of beers from the icebox. "You're voluntarily going to the beach?"

"Yeah, shut up," Danny says. Only then he hears himself saying, "You should come too, Grace would like that."

"Yeah? Yeah, that'd be good."

Steve looks like he wants to say something else but he doesn't, just lets his eyes slide off Danny and directs a half-smile down at the tabletop. 

A while later, Danny's coming back from the john when he finds Steve standing by the bed, running his hand over Grace's hair and soothing her back to sleep. In the unguarded moment before Steve realizes he's standing there Danny feels something twist tight and a little bit wonderful inside his chest. When Danny shifts a little Steve looks around quickly and steps back from the bed, like he's embarrassed, or not sure whether he's overstepped the mark.

"She was just mumbling a bit."

"Yeah, she does that," Danny says, crossing the room to stand next to Steve and smiling down at Grace affectionately. "Man, she used to sleepwalk. Scared the crap outta me. Alright," he says, rubbing a hand over his face. "I'm done. Have the armchair, yeah? You want a blanket or anything?"

"Nah, I'm good," Steve says

"Alright. Night, man."

Steve's hand lands on the back of Danny's neck, squeezes briefly and he says, "Night, Danno."

 

***

 

In the end it's the lack of noise that wakes Danny. It's still raining, but soft now, a hiss instead of a roar. Danny's shoulders and neck are aching from falling asleep at the table with his head pillowed on his arms. Grace is still asleep on the fold-out bed, a little lump under her blanket. Steve is sleeping bolt upright in the armchair like a fucking statue. Danny stands and stretches his arms over his head before he carries Grace back into the bedroom. 

The uncomfortable as hell fold-out has never looked so welcoming, and while Danny's first instinct is to collapse into it and pass right out, something stops him. He detours to the armchair and shakes Steve's shoulder.

"Hey. Wake up. Bed, come on."

Steve stirs at his touch and screws up his face, blinking. "Huh?"

"Steve, hey. C'mon, bed."

"Danny?"

"Yeah, dumbass. Shh, you'll wake Grace."

"Whuh?"

"You this dopey every time someone wakes you up? How the hell did you survive in the army?"

Steve's apparently together enough to murmur, "Navy," and Danny laughs at him.

"Alright, whatever," he agrees. "Let's hit the sack, okay?"

Steve suddenly looks a little more awake. "Together?"

"No, man, I thought you could make use of one of my many guest rooms."

"Huh?"

"Never mind." Danny pulls on Steve's arm and Steve lets himself be dragged out of the chair and across the room. "Keep your hands to yourself, you hear? I'm an old fashioned girl. That and my kid's asleep about five feet away."

Sleepy Steve is apparently pliant, suggestible Steve. He curls easily into the uncomfortable bed, and for all his talk, it's Danny who presses in closer, his back to Steve's chest. He even goes so far as to grab one of Steve's arms, wrap it around his waist. When Steve laughs, it's close enough to ruffle the hair at Danny's nape.

"Yeah, yeah," he says comfortably. "Can it, McGarrett."

In the morning, Danny opens his eyes to find Steve already awake and watching him. 

"Creep," Danny says, voice rough with sleep.

Steve's eyes crinkle as he smiles. And then he kisses Danny, soft and warm, like they do it every morning. Maybe they should. Steve's fingers slide into his hair, his tongue drifting across Danny's lower lip and oh, man. Yeah. Definitely they should. Every morning, every night, every spare minute they get they're gonna be doing this.

Steve's palm comes to rest on his side, warm through Danny's t-shirt, rubbing softly. Danny smiles into the kiss and Steve draws back just far enough to laugh at him. 

"This how to keep you quiet in the mornings, huh?"

"It's one way," Danny admits, tilting his chin in a demand for another kiss. Steve laughs again and Danny may briefly entertain some spectacularly mushy thoughts along the lines of, _he looks so happy, did I do that?_

Then Steve's kissing him again and this time it turns wicked and dirty quickly, Steve pushing himself up on one elbow to loom over Danny. He's all leashed strength in his kisses, in the hand curved around Danny's jaw, and Danny really, really wants to explore that strength, only...

"Grace will be waking up soon," he says, pushing regretfully at Steve's chest.

"Yeah," Steve says, and he plants a last quick kiss on Danny's brow as he draws back.

"Hey, pass me my phone?" Danny requests and Steve leans out of the bed to snag Danny's jeans and wrestle out his phone. Danny taps out a quick message to Rachel ( _storm's passed, we're fine, Gracie still sleeping. Call you when she wakes up_ ) and then falls back into the mattress with an ominous squeak of springs. 

Hidden under the covers, Steve's hand creeps onto Danny's stomach, a warm weight. Danny laughs and then shifts a bit when Steve's fingers draw ticklishly down his chest.

"Stop it," he says. "You're a bad man."

"The worst," Steve agrees cheerfully.

It should feel awkward at _some_ point, but Danny's happy to laze in bed and watch Steve, still dressed only in boxers and Danny's t-shirt (and doesn't that just give fuel for thought?) as he pads over to the light switch and flicks it.

Danny groans and buries his face in the pillow, hiding his eyes from the sudden bright light.

"Power's back," Steve announces.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious."

Steve trails his fingers over the back of Danny's neck as he crosses the room and Danny keeps his big dumb grin pressed into the pillow.

By the time Steve gets back from the bathroom, Danny has snuck into the bedroom for clothes, folded up the bed, and got a pot of coffee on the go.

"Wonders never cease," Steve teases. "Mind if I shove my clothes in the dryer?"

"Go nuts," Danny says. "Stick 'em in the washer."

There's something open and gentle in Steve's expression and if he is going to look at Danny like that _all the time_ , there is a very real possibility Danny will lose his shit in a spectacular fashion. They move around each other in the postage stamp of a kitchen with minimal bitching and a lot of sly little touches. Nothing to get worked up about, just Steve's shoulder bumping his when he passes, or Danny's fingers on the back of Steve's wrist when he reaches for coffee cups.

And then Grace wakes up and the day rolls on. She's the same as always, 0-100 in the time it takes her to open her eyes. The coffee's still only just kicking in as Danny fixes her breakfast. Grace looks at him critically and says, "You both look really tired, Danno."

Even Steve has the good manners to look flustered and Danny has to remind himself that really, _nothing_ happened. Of course, the morning's excellent progress only continues when Rachel calls.

"Mommy, I'm _fine_ ," Grace insists, her voice floating out from the bedroom where she's retreated to speak to her mom. "Steve stayed over." There's a pause. "They're tired."

" _Gracie_ ," Danny whimpers, hiding his face for a second in Steve's arm. Steve's hand comes up and cups the back of his neck and, okay, alright, yes, Rachel will be all over that one, and she'll be spiky and sarcastic and Danny will have to bite his tongue, but that's not the worst thing in the world. Steve's thumb moves against the side of his throat. Definitely not the worst thing in the world.

After a little negotiation, they drive to Steve's place and meet Kono and Chin there. Grace runs ahead of them down to the beach and Danny realizes he's been ignoring Chin's query about how they got on through the storm because he's just watching Steve watch Grace and thinking _shit, did I really stumble on something perfect just like that? Does that happen? Ever?_

Danny breathes out hard, watches Grace turn a cartwheel on the sand, and lets Steve and Kono nudge him into motion, the four of them trailing along after Grace. They spend the day there, Kono and Steve surfing for a bit while Grace looks on, thrilled. After lunch Grace reminds him of the deal they struck the night before and drags Danny off to get a shave ice.

On the way back to the others, Grace grabs his hand and pulls him along determinedly until they reach Steve. She tucks her other hand into his and Steve looks down at her, then over at Danny, and Danny feels it again, that sharp, shocking beautiful thing twisting in his chest and that's _it_ , Danny is just... Just lost. Just head over heels, base over apex, whatever, fucking _madly_ in love with this guy. Steve smiles at him all soft and private with sea water still drying his hair in clumps.

Later Danny's sitting in a growing patch of shade, watching Steve and Grace down at the seashore. Steve's on his knees looking at Grace earnestly while she chatters away. Danny hears the sand crunch behind him and feels a cold bottle of beer pressed against the back of his neck. He tips his head back to smile up at Kono and takes the beer.

"Where's Chin?"

"Phone call," she says, dropping down to sit on the sand next to him.

"Work?"

Kono shrugs and digs a hole in the sand with one finger. "Malia, I think."

Danny decides not to ask because hey, none of his business, and apparently really complicated to boot. He regrets that about half a second later when Kono asks, 

"Something happen, brah?"

"Huh?"

She looks down the beach to Steve and Grace. "You and the boss."

Danny just grunts and Kono digs a toe into his ribs. Danny shies away and grabs her by the ankle.

"You really wanna know?" he asks, lowering his voice.

"Hit me."

"You sure?" Danny asks, leaning closer. "Because what I have to tell you is huge. Life-changing. Life- _defining_."

"Okay," she says slowly.

"Mind your own business," Danny says, releasing her ankle with a little push and sitting back.

"You are _no_ fun," she sulks.

"Danno!" Grace yells. "Danno, come see! Steve found a jellyfish!"

"I'm gonna kill him," Danny groans. "You'll help me cover it up, right?" He hands his beer back to Kono and pushes himself to his feet, cupping his hands to yell, " _Hey! Don't touch! That means you too, McGarrett!_ "

He jogs down the beach towards them and swoops Grace up onto his shoulders, feeling Steve's hand land warm against the small of his back. Danny lets out a breath he feels like he's been holding for years.


End file.
